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hellojohnpaul's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
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4.0
Justin writes to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius defending the Christian faith. He argues that Christians shouldn’t be persecuted simply for being Christians and on the false grounds that they are atheists, appealing to justice and their authentic piety. Likewise, even if the Roman officials don’t change their minds, Christians don’t fear death and that is the worst punishment they could inflict anyway. He notes that Christians are good citizens who strive to help their neighbor and not cause trouble. He explains Christian beliefs and practices to the Emperor such as the practice of the Eucharist. Part of his defense is to point out similarities between Greek Mythological figures and the life of Jesus as a way of showing the differences between normative Roman beliefs of the divine and Christians are exaggerated. Although he also claims that Greek stories that imitate events in Christ’s life and idols representing those deities are really perversions of demons who are trying to mock Jesus and lead men astray. In his estimation, the philosophy of philosophers like Plato was influenced by the wisdom and laws of Moses who he insists came before these later thinkers, although his actual historicity is questioned by scholars.
Justin mentions numerous times that wicked people and people who don’t accept the truth of Christianity will face eternal hellfire as a consequence of their evil deeds. One wonders what the polytheist Romans reading this letter must have thought of this part of his argument. Justin spends a lot of time quoting and interpreting passages from the Old Testament prophets to provide proof that Jesus was the messiah and Judaism is mistaken. His argument is that since the prophet’s prophecies came true therefore it is reasonable to assume the parts that haven’t come true will eventually come to pass. He also attacks the ideas of Marcion numerous times who believed in the heretical idea that there were two different deities.
Justin mentions numerous times that wicked people and people who don’t accept the truth of Christianity will face eternal hellfire as a consequence of their evil deeds. One wonders what the polytheist Romans reading this letter must have thought of this part of his argument. Justin spends a lot of time quoting and interpreting passages from the Old Testament prophets to provide proof that Jesus was the messiah and Judaism is mistaken. His argument is that since the prophet’s prophecies came true therefore it is reasonable to assume the parts that haven’t come true will eventually come to pass. He also attacks the ideas of Marcion numerous times who believed in the heretical idea that there were two different deities.
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